For the fourth annual Ben-Gurion Day in the USA, Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) has launched David Ben-Gurion Speaks, a three-part, AI-powered video series that brings Israel’s founding prime minister to life.
Developed in collaboration with Jewish IdeaLab, the videos use archival images and authentic recordings of Ben-Gurion’s voice, enhanced through advanced generative AI. This approach invites viewers to connect his enduring vision with the university that bears his name—Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU)—and with his belief that knowledge and creativity could transform a desert into a thriving center of innovation.
Ben-Gurion Day has long been a national day of commemoration in Israel. Observed this year on Nov. 19 and presented in partnership with the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, A4BGU’s Ben-Gurion Day in the USA uses creative avenues to raise awareness about the impact of BGU.
On that day, A4BGU will host a national webinar featuring Arieh Saposnik, associate professor at the Ben-Gurion Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism at BGU. The program will explore Ben-Gurion’s influence on Israeli identity and leadership, and include a virtual tour of the Ben-Gurion Archives, offering participants an intimate look at the writings and images that shaped the legacy of one of Israel’s first prime ministers and one of its founding fathers.
Across the country, schools, synagogues and community centers are participating in Ben-Gurion Day in the USA through engagement activities available for download. Resources include a Ben-Gurion Alphabet Coloring Book, Spot It! card game, a matching memory game, a timeline poster tracing his path from activism to statehood and talking points for sharing his story. A4BGU’s community partners can request a Ben-Gurion Day in the USA engagement box featuring T-shirts, stickers and Hebrew-letter coloring activities designed to spark conversation and intergenerational connection.
David Ben-Gurion said in 1949: “Only with the compass of vision in our hands will we find our way in the stormy waves of our conflicted time.”
Now, Ben-Gurion Day in the USA is once again providing communities across the country with resources to draw inspiration from his ideals.
To watch the videos in the David Ben-Gurion Speaks series, visit: https://americansforbgu.org/benguriondayintheusa/dbg-speaks/.
To learn more about Ben-Gurion Day, access resources or register for the webinar, visit: www.americansforbgu.org/benguriondayintheusa.
